By Saminu Ibrahim
The Federal Government is intensifying efforts to accelerate Nigeria’s digital economy through investments in digital skills development, technology innovation, broadband infrastructure and emerging technologies, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has said.
Inuwa said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was implementing strategic initiatives to develop indigenous technological capacity, strengthen the innovation ecosystem and position Nigeria as a leading digital hub in Africa.
He spoke at the Global Tech Africa event in Kano, themed “Connecting Africa, Accelerating Growth,” where he outlined the government’s digital transformation agenda and its potential to drive economic growth.
The NITDA chief identified human capital development as a critical foundation for Nigeria’s digital transformation, citing the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme and the Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) initiative as key interventions designed to equip Nigerians with relevant technology skills.
He said the government was also integrating digital skills into formal education, from kindergarten to tertiary institutions, to prepare young Nigerians for emerging opportunities in the global technology market.
According to him, the DL4ALL initiative is targeting 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030 to ensure that citizens across different communities and economic sectors can effectively access and utilise digital services.
Inuwa stressed that digital transformation should go beyond providing internet access and smartphones, noting that connectivity must translate into digital literacy, technology adoption, improved productivity and national prosperity.
He explained that technology should empower individuals, businesses and traders to improve efficiency, reduce operational costs, expand markets and create economic value.
On innovation financing, the NITDA DG disclosed that the agency, in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), was working towards establishing six funds to support startups developing innovative solutions.
He also identified the Bank of Industry and other development finance institutions as important sources of funding for technology entrepreneurs.
However, he called for greater private-sector participation in financing innovation, arguing that government funding alone could not sustain a growing entrepreneurial ecosystem.
He said private investors could contribute not only capital but also equity partnerships, corporate governance, business expertise and leadership to help startups expand.
On digital infrastructure, Inuwa said the Federal Government was pursuing plans to extend fibre-optic connectivity across all 774 local government areas, the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He added that Nigeria must complement its broadband investments with adequate domestic computing capacity, explaining that this informed the development of NITDA’s National Sovereign Cloud Initiative.
According to him, the initiative is designed to strengthen Nigeria’s computing infrastructure, promote digital sovereignty and ensure that data generated within the country can be securely processed and stored locally.
Describing data centres as the refineries of the digital economy, Inuwa said they provide the computing capacity required to transform raw data into valuable insights, products and services.
He maintained that Nigeria must develop the capacity to own and control critical digital infrastructure to reduce dependence on foreign computing facilities and position the country as the computing hub for West and Central Africa.
On artificial intelligence, the NITDA boss expressed concern that Africa accounts for less than two per cent of the data used to train AI models.
He therefore called for increased local participation in developing Large Language Models (LLMs) and other artificial intelligence solutions that reflect Nigeria’s languages, cultures and socioeconomic realities.
Using Kano as an example, Inuwa urged renewed efforts to restore the state’s historic position as a major commercial centre for the Sahel region through digital technology, modern trade and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He noted that e-commerce and changing business models had disrupted traditional trading patterns, allowing customers in neighbouring countries to purchase goods online without travelling to Kano.
However, he said the city could reclaim its commercial influence by leveraging digital platforms to strengthen trade connections between North Africa, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa.
